The present invention relates to a device for making quick and reliable connection and disconnection of metal seal flanges.
The mating surfaces of conventional, commercial wedge flange clamps that use flat or conical wedges that apply axial force to a conical shaped flange do not make full surface contact over the entire range of motion of the clamp. Thus, these clamps are not able to generate the high force needed to achieve tight metal to metal seals. The most common of such wedge flange clamps are identified as band clamps, hinged clamps and chain clamps. In each of these prior art clamps, a band, a hinged peripheral structure or a peripheral chain is used to force a flat or conical wedge clamping mechanism against and over a conical shaped flange. While such devices provide useful clamps each is subject to certain limitations.
For example, in the case of the band and hinged clamps, full surface contact is attained in only at a single point radial position. At other radial positions, the contact reverts to one or two line contacts that are subject to high friction and galling. In the chain clamp, full surface contact does not exist over the entire width of the chain segments but only at points at approximately the midpoint of the chain segment where they are in radial contact with the conical wedge.
Generation of the high axial forces needed to attain a tight metal to metal seal is only possible when full surface contact exists continuously between a flat wedge and a wedge shaped flange at every radial position.
It would therefore be highly desirable to have a wedge flange clamp that achieves full surface contact between a flat wedge and a wedge shaped flange over the entire available surface of both such elements through their entire range of motion.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved interdependent wedge element flange and clamp system that maintains full surface contact between flat wedge clamp segments and matching flat wedge shaped flange facets.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an improved clamp that is useful in tight physical space installations where axial installation and wrenching of axially disposed bolts or other similar fasteners is difficult or undesirable.
The radial wedge flange clamp of the present invention comprises a pair of flanges each comprising plurality of flat male peripheral wedge facets attached to or otherwise secured about two elements to be joined and a series of flat female wedge clamps each engaging one pair of said flat peripheral wedge facets and having in their opposed extremities apertures for the tangential insertion of bolts to apply uniform radial force to said wedge clamps thereby forcing the flat surfaces of said flat female wedge clamps against said flat surfaces of said wedge facets when said bolts are tightened.